Greetings!
As fall is finally upon us and heating season is around the corner, take a look at these interesting articles about dry eye as it relates to LASIK candidates and patients.
Jeffrey D. Gold, MD
Medical Director
Liberty Vision
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| Little-Known Side Effect of Acne Medicine |
 Accutane Causes Dry Eye
A common acne medicine called Accutane (Isotretinoin, Roche) can cause dry eye and should not be taken by patients who have had or who are planning to have Laser Vision Correction, according to researchers at the University of Columbia, Missouri. They asked 50 ophthalmologists if they screened LASIK candidates for this medicine and they all do. But they asked 50 dermatologists who prescribe Accutane if they asked acne patients about former or pending LASIK and none of them do.
The researchers said acne patients should not use Accutane for six months before and after Laser Vision Correction surgery. The risk of dry eye in such patients can adversely affect healing of the cornea.
(From AllAboutVision.com) |
| Artificial Tears |
 Avoid Preservatives
Here is a list of my favorite lubricating drops for patients with dry eye, whether or not the dryness is caused by your surgery:
Refresh -- Allergan
Systane -- Alcon
Genteal -- Novartis
Theratears -- Advanced Vision Research
The reason there are so many "good" artificial tears is that every person's chemistry is different and what works for one may not work for the other. The different preparations have different viscosity which affects how long the drop stays on your eye. Also the chemical make-up of the various drops is different. The bottom line is that there is not yet a perfect artificial tear and figuring out which drop or combination of drops is best involves a lot of experience and trial and error. The products above either have no preservative or a preservative which evaporates as it reaches the eye. A good practice is to avoid generic or store brands because of the preservatives that they contain.
Omega 3 Fatty acid, especially if derived from fish oil, helps lubricate the ocular surface (as well as many other beneficial effects) and thus promotes better healing after Laser Vision Correction.
Restasis (Allergan) is the first drug available from pharmacies that causes the tear glands to produce more tears. Biopsy evidence has shown that one common factor in dry eye is the presence of inflammatory cells in the tear gland tissue interefering with the production of tears. Restasis contains a commonly used anti-inflammatory agent (Cyclosporine) to reduce the presence of those cells in the tear glands and thus promote better tear production.
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